Political Solidarity
by ii Digestive Reader ii
Summary: Padmé hears whispers over the years. Rumors. About her dear friend Duchess Kryze. About Obi-Wan Kenobi. She tries to keep it to herself. She really does.


Political Solidarity

* * *

"He's cute - you think he's single?"

Padmé cracked her eyes open, looking in the general direction of her handmaiden. She grimaced at the light flickering from the window port and the steady clunking of the ship around her. "Sabé - please tell me you're talking about Padawan Kenobi and not Master Qui-Gon?"

Rabé - on the bunk above Padmé - gave a hard snort. "He's _way _out of your league, sweetie - why don't you go for that seamstress that keeps flirting with you?"

"Fuck off Rabé." Sabé flicked on the lights of the cabin, causing all the girls to groan - all but Eirtaé, who slept through it.

"I'd say he's a little old for you," Padmé murmured while she rubbed her eyes. "Twenty-three?"

"I'm seventeen - I hardly doubt a Jedi would have qualms about having sex with someone of legal age. They're not celibate."

Rabé swung herself onto the ladder used to be to her bunk, raising her eyebrows. "I heard Master Qui-Gon teasing him about his girlfriend."

"Jedi don't have attachments," Sabé shot back, tossing her braid over her shoulder.

"You just said they weren't celibate."

Padmé rolled her eyes, laying down and rolling over. "Goodnight girls."

"Change of topic - you know what I heard?" Sabé - always one for dramatics - waited a beat until whispering: "I heard Duchess Kryze has a boyfriend."

"Really? Her?" Rabé gave a soft laugh. "Poor guy, has to wait until marriage for sex."

"Can you two stop?" Padmé muttered, putting her pillow over her head. "We have a busy day tomorrow."

"Jelous you don't have a boyfriend?" Sabé asked in a singsong voice.

"She's fourteen, leave her alone - and your _queen."_

_"Thank you Rabé." _Sighing, Padmé rolled over and looked between her gossiping handmaidens. "Duchess Kryze has a boyfriend - and she told me that a Master Jinn and padawan Kenobi helped her during the Mandalorian Civil War. That's all I know."

The handmaidens were quiet for a moment, digesting the information.

Then Sabé gave a wicked grin. "Maybe Obi-Wan and the Duchess are together!"

"Good_night _Sabé."

* * *

Padmé scratched her fingers through her curly hair, leaning against the door of her childhood bedroom heavily. She felt close to tears, though years of political training told her it was unbecoming.

_Senator. Of Naboo. _

She'd said yes of course. Why wouldn't she? The Queen has asked, the Vice Chancellor has asked…

She missed politics. She missed the chaos, the arguing, the thrill when a bill was passed or a negotiation was made.

The Nubian in her - the one made from the blood of the trickster gods and queens who poisoned to wage war - missed the plotting, the backstabbing, the joy when an asshole went to prison.

"It'll be nice to leave this house." Padmé pushed off the door, wandering around the room. Holos of her years as a junior ambassador lined the walls, with a bed for one person and an atmosphere made for a little girl. It wasn't that she didn't get along with her parents - but when one went from ruler to daughter well...it was a difficult adjustment.

Glancing at the Holoclock, Padmé smiled.

It would be nearing 8pm on Mandalore.

"Maybe Satine has advice." Padmé took the comlink from her nightstand and sat on the window seat. The frequency was on speed dial - though Satine wasn't answering.

"Odd." She was about to record a message when Satine's face popped upwards.

_"Padmé! Hi, sorry about that." _Satine tucked her hair behind her ears, looking a little breathless. _"I'm a little distracted."_

_"A little?" _Came an accented voice from off-screen.

_Coruscanti... familiar...what?_

_Oh Goddess, I interupted her during sex. _

The hologram of Satine threw what might have been a pillow at the offender, which was followed by laughter. She dropped the comlink towards curtains, rustling fabric around. _"I apologise - my husband thinks he's hilarious."_

_"Because I am!"_

Padmé blinked, looking at her friend when she took the comlink again. "I wasn't aware you were married."

_"It's not something I tell the tabloids - we've been together for nearly eleven years." _Satine must have stepped onto a balcony, as her hair floated gently in the breeze. _"I'm sorry if you're offended I didn't tell you - Obi and I keep things pretty quiet for political reasons."_

"Ah - you're fine. I'm happy for you."

Satine smiled, blushing a little while she sat on a lounge chair. _"Did you need something or?..."_

"Oh…" Padmé hesitated, then began to tell her friend about the appointment to Senatorship.

* * *

"Senator Amidala!"

Padmé turned, smiling when she saw Rush Clovis run down the hall. A giggle escaped her when he nearly ran into Orn Free Taa. He stumbled to her, smiling sheepishly. "Senator Clovis - you make quite an entrance."

"I did it on purpose - mind if I walk with you?"

She gave a nod to her handmaidens, signaling that they were to follow at a distance. Clutching at her flimsi, she smiled at the Senator. "My office isn't far - I have a few odd and ends to pick up before the recess."

"You will enjoy recess - you probably never got one as queen."

"I didn't sleep all those years, truthfully."

Rush laughed, a quiet and timid laugh that made her warm. "Such is the work in politics - staying on planet?"

Padmé shook her head, coming to her office and swiping her keycard. She nodded to her receptionist, glad that her handmaiden Dormé followed into the office. "I'm leaving for Sundari, actually. Duchess Satine is an old friend - I have not seen her in at least a year."

"Duchess Kryze? The Ice Queen? She has friends?"

"Rush!" Padmé shook her head, sorting through her flimsi and putting it in a binder to take home. "Satine may have a reputation to be cold, but she is a genuine person. She has her work cut out for her, melding the two factions of Mandalorians."

"I hear that she banished the True Mandalorians to Concordia because they worshipped war gods."

"What? No, there was only a small number banished - prisoners convicted of war crimes - bombing hospitals, killing noble houses and clan leaders, that stuff. The majority of the moon holds the traditional practices but accepts Satine's rule."

Rush shook his head and strode to the window. He looked at the Jedi Temple in the distance, then gave her a side-long glance. "You know what I heard?"

"What?"

"I heard Duchess Kryze is in a relationship with Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Padmé paused, looking at her computer.

_Oh…._

She gave a snort, looking at Rush. "I hardly doubt Satine would cheat on her husband with a _Jedi."_

"The Duchess is married?"

"Not many people know - he's pretty sweet."

_Obi-Wan, really now?_

"Who is he?"

"Take me out to dinner and maybe I'll tell you."

* * *

Padmé felt a hand on her shoulder. She rubbed her eyes, glancing in the dim light of the Medbay to -

"Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan smiled, offering a cup of tea. She took it, blowing delicately on the tea while he sat on the bed. A frown passed over his handsome face while he looked at his padawan. The severed arm hung limp at Anakin's side, wrapped in bandages and propped by a pillow.

"The medics gave him a general anesthesia to help with the pain."

"Bant told me - my friend. Siri too."

"Ah." Padmé watched the sleeping face of her... something, then looked out the window of the transport.

"Do Senators ever sleep?"

Startled, she looked at the Jedi Knight before realizing it was a jest. She did her best to smile, though the past few days weighed heavily on her mind. Shrugging, she pressed her lips together before -

"I don't know - does a Duchess?"

Obi-Wan - reaching out a hand to smooth Anakin's hair - froze for a fraction of a second. He sighed eventually, stroking Anakin's hair and giving a small smile. "No, not really. It's a battle to get her to sleep even five hours."

"Yeah…" Padmé looked between them, her heart aching a little.

_You did well Satine...I won't touch. I promise._

* * *

"Padmé! Padmé! Padmé!"

Padmé glanced at her husband when he skidded into her office, then slid a glance in amusement to her receptionist before the door slid closed. She hadn't seen her husband in the days, not since he's traveled to Kalelava to escort Obi-Wan and the Duchess.

"What - "

"Obi-Wan has a girlfriend! It's the Duchess!"

She opened her mouth, then closed it and tucked her hands beneath her chin. Remaining a neutral face was difficult - but manageable. Perks of being a politician. "Obi-Wan sleeps with everyone."

"Yeah but - what if they have an open relationship or something?" Anakin flung himself into his favorite chair, not caring when it creaked and groaned at his weight. Really, he'd passed cute and went to hot and devastatingly handsome real fast since the beginning of the war. The scar was nice too.

Padmé pressed her lips together. "If they are in a relationship - why would Obi-Wan sleep with everyone? He takes his commitments almost too seriously at times."

"Maybe he just flirts with everyone but doesn't actually sleep with them - I don't know, I'm not around him 24/7."

"Yes you are."

Anakin turned to look at her, grinning. "He always goes to Mandalore whenever he has leave - come on, you've known Satine for _years, _you have to know something."

"It's not my place Anakin, even if I did know anything." Padmé looked back at her flimsi, aware of her husband groaning and scrubbing his hands over his face.

"Come _on _honey - tell me."

"I know she's married - that's about all I know." Padmé glanced at her husband, giggling at his agape mouth.

"What - _what?" _Anakin scrambled into a sitting position, staring at her in shock. "But Obi-Wan spent the night in her chambers - he didn't come to ours! She's cheating on her husband?!"

Padmé burst into laughter, hiding her face in her hands. It took some time to calm down, and when she did her dear husband was still looking at her in confusion. "Ani," she managed while giggling. "Think about it."

"Think about." Anakin frowned, staring at the ground and muttering to himself before - "..._ohhhh._ Obi-Wan's her husband."

"Mmm hmm."

"Wait wait wait - you knew? For how _long?! _Padmé!"

* * *

_Author's note: hello there! Enjoy this ridiculous and hilarious fic. It was based off the idea that Padmé heard rumors about Satine and Obi-Wan overs the years, and that helped her go for Anakin instead._

_(Excuse any errors, I'll edit tomorrow)_

_ii Digestive Reader ii_


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